New to Smartthings and would like to know how to get echo to work with linear garage door opener

I have read some posts on getting echo to work with Smartthings linear garage door opener. I am confused on what exactly needs to be done. Do I need a virtual switch? Do I use Alexa Helper. Please help!!

Hi there.

Just install the controller. Use the tilt sensor that came with it. Put that sensor at the top of your garage door.

Include the device into your ST environment.

Manually run the garage door open and closed until it syncs with the app and shows the correct status.

Test the door by tapping the open and then the close button in the ST app.

In the ST app go to the smartapps section. Open the Amazon echo smartapp. Conduct that app by checking the box next to your garage door. Talk done until finished. Have Alexa run device discovery.

Now twetell her to open and close the garage door.

Itā€™s not that easy. The garage door opener isnā€™t exposed as a switch, so it doesnā€™t show up in the Echo SmartApp. You have to create a virtual switch, connect that to the Echo SmartApp, and then create a routine (or use rule machine) that opens/closes the garage when the switch is on/off. All these steps can be done manually or you can use the community created Alexa Helper to make it a bit easier to get setup.

Oh yeah, I forgot the most important step.

Follow this link and install the device handler I link to in that thread.

You not need a virtual switch or Alexa helper with that device handler. Install that DH before you fyi what I posted above.

I was wondering if you were using a custom DH :sunglasses:

Yeah, I forgot about that.

All, thanks for the response. So I have the garage door already setup and working with ST. I created the virtual switch last night and Echo now sees the virtual switch. This is where I am confused. How do I program the virtual switch. Ultimately I would like to say, Alexa open garage door. Alexa, close garage door. Would I need Alexa Helper to do this? How do I get Alexa Helper? I see that the routines are mentioned. Up this point I havenā€™t really used routines with ST. Is this the best way to go? Let me know and thanks again for your reponses.

ok Jason, i havenā€™t had my full dose of coffee this morning. I canā€™t find a link to the custom DH in that thread or any thread you linked to in that thread.

Well, I have no idea what happened. It was there beforeā€¦

But this is the device handler that I use.

Iā€™m going to redo that write up

So I apologize in advance for my continued confusion on how this all works. Where do I install this code? Do I need to somehow download an app on graph.api.smartthings.com to get this working. Is the virtual switch still in play here? Sorry for the repeat question but will the code that you sent me allow me to tell echo to open and close the garage door or is the verbage turn on/off? How do I add a device to a virtual switch? Please bear with me on my questions and unfamiliarity with customizing ST with echo.

So very sorry. We got off track big time.

No, you will not need a virtual switch to make this work.
The verbiage will be, ā€œAlexa, open/close the garage doorā€

Follow this link for instructions on how to install a custom device type. This should help you. Please ask all of the questions you need to.

@ibeastie
Follow this link. Itā€™s better than the first one.

Hey thereā€¦I am the author of Alexa Helperā€¦Sorry to give you more reading material, but this should helpā€¦

http://thingsthataresmart.wiki/index.php?title=Alexa_Helper

In addition, I am here to help if you need it.

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We are probably confusing the hell out of youā€¦ Sorry.

But to clarify. There are two ways to do this.

  1. using custom device handler and direct use with Alexa (what I described above)

  2. using Alexa Helper. Which is an outstanding so that does a whole lot of great stuff.

Either way will give you the same result in the end. Your garage door will go up and down when you tell it to. I honestly donā€™t know if the verbiage is the same for both methods, but again, same end result.

I use the method I described, but I also use Alexa helper extensively with a lot of other automations.

So I was able to get the parent and child code on the api site. Where do I go from here now?

Are you going the route of Alexa helper?

Yes. Sorry about that.

Got mine to work with just the custom Device Handler. Thanks @bamarayne!

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Not a problemā€¦ Ok, you have the parent and child apps installed in the ide? And you have the door controller included in smartthings?

When you go into the device, does it open and close properly?

It opens and closes in st. Confused on how to get it to open and close with Echo